National FFA to Participate in Advancing Racial Equity Initiative

The National FFA Organization announced its participation in a new community of practice with other nonprofit organizations focused on advancing racial equity. Over the next six months, leaders in the National FFA Organization will work with The Bridgespan Group to strengthen their approach to advancing racial equity internally and externally. The Advancing Racial Equity Community of Practice, led by The Bridgespan Group, is funded by the Walmart Foundation.

"We believe FFA and agricultural education is a place for all," said Scott Stump, CEO of the National FFA Organization. "By partnering with other nonprofits through this initiative, we can expand our capacity to seek and promote inclusion and diversity in our membership, leadership, and staff to reflect the belief of the FFA in the value of all human beings."

The National FFA Organization is participating in the cohort alongside nine organizations: American Red Cross, Center for the Future of Arizona, Education Design Lab, Goodwill Industries International, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), Team Rubicon, The Recycling Partnership, Winrock International, and World Wildlife Fund.

The Walmart Foundation is providing philanthropic funding to the National FFA Organization. The funding will assist in supporting the National FFA Organization to collaborate with others to share best practices and learnings on their work to prioritize equity.

"We can make a greater impact when we come together to support each other's journeys to advance racial equity," said Kirstie Sims, Senior Director, Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity. "We heard from many nonprofit organizations we work with, at varying sizes and points in their racial equity journey, that they wanted to learn and share best practices, knowledge and challenges with others. The Bridgespan Group's leadership of the Advancing Racial Equity Community of Practice provides that space."

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.